Leaders Meeting

Our Why

I want us to ask ourselves a question today.

A question that defines what we do as a church and as a ministry

and the question is this..

As a church why do we do what we do?

In your minsitry.. why do we do what we do.

Let people anwser

What Our Why should be

I believe The core of why we do what we do can be found in two passages of scripture.

And I want to breifly look at those this morning.

Love

Matthew 22:36–40 ESV

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus has a man come to him one day and the guy asks him..

Teachers what the most important comandment

And Jesus tells him what we have just read.

Jesus says these are so important infact that everything else that was written in scripture hangs on these two directives…

Love god

Love people..

Ministry

if we are going to be in ministry

if were are going to be leaders in ministry

we better love god.

Because ministry is an extention of the love of god to the poeple of god.

And it should be out of our love for god our desires to do for god comes..

IF not.. .then its not about him..

IF WE ARE IN MINISTRY FOR ANY OTHER REASON THAN BECAUSE WE LOVE GOD…

THEN WE NEED TO REvaluate our why..

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

This is all about him..

Not you or I..

Its him kingdom and we are servants and children of the king..

doing the kings work..

Its about him..

Love for others

and it is about of our love for god..

that a love for others as Jesus told us to do.. should flow..

1 John 4:19 ESV

We love because he first loved us.

John says his love made it possible and gave us reason to love others..

Jesus said in John 13:34-35

John 13:34–35 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

jesus comanded us to love others..

and not just love them.

but love them as he loved us..

Love

What is love?

Its the action for putting someone elses needs above your own.,.

care for them..

choosing to make sure they are right..

in ministry loving others is helping meet thier physical and spiritual needs..

to ensure they are physically and spiritually fed..

LOVE SHOULD BE A DRIVING FORCE IN WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO..

BUT IT IS NOT THE SOLE REASON..

Go

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus told us not olny to love but to take action.. and to god..

Jesus gave while preparing to assend..

gave each and eveyone of us a purpose..

go..

make disicples..

baptize them and teach them..

/HAND IN HAND WITH LOVE WE HAVE PURPOSE..

TO BE ABOUT THE FATHER BUSINESS LIKE JESUS WAS..

We are not a social club..

or a benevolence ceneter soley..

but we are a church..

and to be a church is to be about the business of god..

WE HAVE A PURPOSE IN HIM..

THESE ARE THE REASON FOR OUR WHY..

LOVING GOD..

LOVING OTHERS..

FULFILLING OUR GOD GIVEN PURPOSE..

The Freedom Vision

We have a house vision that was launch in 2021 and I would hope by now we could all speak to it..

But I want to remind you this morning what the vision of our church is..

and what the vision of you ministry should fall in line with and reflect..

In all we do, we should be in line with the vision of the house.

If not, it will cause, division..

and division can destroy the unity of the church

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Vision of the house is to reach, restore, and release

Reach

“Reaching the lost the broken and the hurting”

Jesus said god into all the word and make disiples.

Paul said in romans 10:14-15

Romans 10:14–15 ESV

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

How will they preach unless they are sent

The first part of our vision for the church

is that we are not called to simply sit and wait for poeple to show up in the house..

but we are called to GO

To find poeple..

Friends, family, co workers..

In our homes, in the work place, in the street…

we are called to find those who need Jesus.. All the world..

and then what?

Help restore them

Restore

“Restoring people in relationship to god and christian community”

Jesus said make disicples and teach them to obey me.

when we find people..

we are to help them find Jesus..

Restoring them to their rightful place as children of god

followers of the savior.

Teaching them what it means to walk as a christ

to talk as a christian.

To live in the will of purpose of god..

community

and we do this in the context of christian community

eating with each other

studying the word together

cyring and laughing together

walking together and carrying each others burdens

holding each other accountable

BUT

this isnt just so we can grow a big community

ultimatly we reach and restore so we can release people ..

Release

“Releasing people to fullfill thier god given callings and purpose”

We are called to help people find thier purpose..

and help them fulfill it..

Be it cleaning toilets..

or going to africa..

or preaching in pulpits..

we are alla different piece of the body..

and we are called to help people find out what peice they are and help them attach and work in gods purpose for for thier lives..

and as we do..

the cycle begins again..

because Disciples make disicples

so they find people to reach

and help restore..

and help release..

THIS IS THE VISION FOR FREEDOM CHURCH..

Our 2024 Emphasis

Our emphasis in 2024 is to “Position the church for another 30 years of fruitful ministry”

We stand on the foundation of the men and women who have gone before us in faith.

Pastors Like Pastor Boll

Pastor Johnson

Pastor Kinkaid

Pastor Ellison

Pastor Marcum

Countless Youth Pastors

Sunday School Leaders

Childrens Teachers

Bible Study Leaders

Mens and Womens Leaders

Usher, Greeters, Lot Attendants, Clerks and More!

We are able to do what we do because 10/20/30/40/50/60/70 and 80 Years ago leaders stepped up and laid the foundation for those that would come after them.

Out turn

Now..

Its our turn

If christ delays..

Its out turn to prepare the ground, the church, the minsitries we shepherd for the next 30 years.

1. Building and Properties

Those of you who were able to make the business meeting sunday know that we the deacons team has been working to help do this in the building and properties themselves.

Expanding our seating capatity in the santuary

Completely Rehabilataing the parking lot, the roof, and the Exterior of the building

Restructuring and remodling class rooms and bathrooms for expanded and more functional capacity..

We are working diligently to prepare the building for expanded ministry and growth

to be a place where people of all ages and kinds can come and encounter the love of Jesus and Grow

And while this is extremely exciting this is only a building..

2. Leadership Expansion

We are looking to add leaders this year and start new departments to cover the gaps we have in current ministry and to meet the needs we have for future ministry

We are looking for people who have a love and passion for god and his purpose

People who want to love people the way christ has loved them.

Hopefully through the 2024 year you will see these people launched out.

Care

We have been talking to somone from with-in about taking on the roll of care pastor

to help with the care of the comgregation

Sunday Morning Coordinator

We have been talking to someone about taking on the responsibility of coordinating our sunday morinings

Someone to be the go to person for all sunday morning guest services and volunteering

Homeless

Pastor Rodney is fully re-launching homeless and outreach ministry this year city wide

finding people where they are and bringing the love of christ to them.

Other

There are other minsitries in conversation..

and maybe even minstries that we havnt talked about

minsitries that will meet the needs of our city and point people to Jesus

3. Ministry Emphasis

I am asking you this moring to make three things an emphasis in your minsitry this year.

three things god has put on my heart for each of us and the church as a whole are we pursue the purpose and vison he has given us.

a. A personal emphasis on spiritual growth

We do what we do because of our why

Why do we do what we do?

Because WE love god..

Im challanging you as a leader to spend more time in the word and prayer this year than ever before.

Its been said that we minsitry out of our overflow..

But you cannot overflow if you dont first learn to be filled daily..

And you cannont give something you do not have.

If we are going to establish lasting change in others

It has to be done from the posture of personal relationship ourselves.

I dont care how long you have or have not been in the church.

Each and every one of us needs an emphasis this year on spiritual growth.

Deeper relationships with God..

and out of that will grow the ability and annointing to lead and minsister.

Ask yourself

How am I growing clorser to god?

Reguirements

Begining this year, we are requiring three things from every leader to in order to be a leader.

These are people who lead others.

You must be a member of the church

You must go through relational disicpleship or present a completion certificate or a like program

You must attend a Lead Conference (To be held in the fall)

these are going to be mandatory requirements for all current and future leaders for the church.

They are vital pieces of building the foundation for leadership

b. The second emphasis i am asking of you is to have a emphasis on spiritual formation in all departments

Jesus said.. Make disciples and teach them to obey my comands..

In all we do..

We need to focus on teaching people to follow Jesus.

That will look different in all departments

it will look much different in the actual School of disicpleship verse the pantry.

But the point is that we emphasize it..

Ask yourself about your minsitry..

How are we bring people closer to god.

If you are a teaching department that teaching?

Great..

Maybeing in the pantry they do a devotion for the workers

Maybe in worship they do a devotion on sunday.

We have to intentionally being bringing people closer to god.

c. The final emphasis I want to ask you to make is for us to be intentional in our stewardship of all we touch.

How do we manage what we have been given.

It could be minsitry funds..

Its could be snacks..

It could be space..

Or materials..

Are we managing the things god has given us in a godly way

in a wise way..